Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme) Share this | Hansard source

Perhaps I can make some general observations about the significance of the PBS to the health of Australians and to the overall way that we approach public health in Australia. The PBS is an incredibly significant instrument for Australian public policy. It does mean that we are able to obtain access to medicines from a range of suppliers and from a range of different countries at very competitive prices, and we are able to provide those to Australian citizens. Our feedback, and the feedback from people I talk to in my electorate, is that it is one of the government programs they care about the most. You may hear something different in Queensland, Senator Hanson, but that's not what I hear. I hear from mums and dads on the ground that having access to affordable medicine through the PBS is highly valued, because every Australian wants to know that if their child, partner, parent or neighbour is sick, they will be able to get access to the medicine that they require. It's why in our public-policy making we place such a high emphasis on making sure it continues to be affordable.

The investment that is being debated in the Senate today is a really significant part of this. It is, as other senators have pointed out, a very long time since the maximum co-contribution for an Australian to make under the PBS was $25. That's a big deal. It will mean a great deal to many families who are looking for support in accessing the medicines they require, and it has flow-on benefits for the rest of the health system. It's important that people are treated in a timely way with the medicines that are prescribed to them because it preserves and protects their health and, in some circumstances, prevents people from accessing more acute medical services as a consequence of their health deteriorating.

This government is absolutely committed to protecting the integrity of that system. Senator Hanson, you and Senator Roberts have asked questions this morning that suggest there is some other process at play. Without evidence, you suggest that the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee is not, in fact, making decisions. I am here to tell you that that is incorrect. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee is the body that is tasked with evaluating applications to list medicines on the PBS. It's an incredibly important mechanism. The integrity of that process is important to government. And I can assure taxpayers that the entire purpose of the PBS is to make sure that we work on behalf of all Australians to obtain medicine at an affordable price so that all Australians can access the health care that they require.